Flexible coupling for drive shafts



Jul 3, 1923.

A. R. LE MOON FLEXIBLE COUPLING FfOR DRIVE SHAFTS Filed March 5, 1921 Patented July 3, 1923,

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL K LE MOON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NELSON & LE MOON, CHICAGO, 'ILLIN 018,. A PARTNERSHIP.

rmzxrnnn cournme FOR nnifva snar'rs- Application filed much 5, 1921. Serial 1%. 450,009]

To all wiwm it may concern:

Be'it known that I, Axnn R. Ln Moon, a

citizen of the United States of America, and a residentof Chicago, county. of Cook,

I and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Couplings .for Drive Shafts, of which the following is a specification- This invention relates to couplings or universal joints of the type which is requlred between sections of the drive shafts of motor vehicles to compensate for relative motion between the engine and the driven axles due to the spring mounting of the axles and some torsional motion which occurs in the 1 vehicle frame. Such devices also serve to cushion the clutch action or the transmission of motion between the engine and driven wheels. The purpose of the resent invention is to provide a housing or the flexible disks to revent radial motion thereof and confine t em to the action required for permitting a slight angular motion between the sections of the dr1ve shaft. A

further object of the invention'is to provide a disk unit in which the separate disks are clamped together between beveled elliptical washers.

The objects of the invention are accom- 30 plished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch 0 Fig. 1 is an end view of a coupling constructed according to this inventlon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the 85 line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view opposite to the end view shown in Fig. 1. I V

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the form of one of the washers by means of which the flexible disks are clamped together.

The customer design of couplmgs of this class consists o a pair of spiders to which the shaft sections are respectively ke ed and a plurality of flexible disks which are clamped between the spiders by bolts. Corrugated washers are frequently employed between the spiders and the disks to protect the disks and prevent. their displacement. Such a construction is faulty due to wear developing in the disks at the point of the bolts, resulting in time in a whipping action between the shaft sections WlllC occurs soon renders the structure liable to when it breakage. The corrugated washers also have a tendency to cut into the disks.

With the 'presentarrangement the disks are secured together as a unit by rivets winch pass through a plurality of clampin washers located on each face of the set 0 disks and between the same These washers are elliptical in form, having holes near their ends for receiving the rivets and central apertures by which the disk unit is respectivel secured to a spider on one shaft section an tion. This drum surrounds the disk unit and prevents radial movement between the disks and thus confines the coupling to an action permitting angular motion only between the shaft sections. In this manner the joint is renderedsafe'r and the shafts are centeredand maintained in strictly coaxial relation.

' In the drawings, the spider 1, to which one of the shaft sections is keyed, is shown provided with three arms 2 which are apertured at their ends to receive the bolts 3.

These bolts pass through the disk unit 4 which is clamped to the spider 1 by means of the nuts 5. The remaining shaft section 1s keyedto a drum 6, the cylindrical flange 7 of which encircles the disk unit 4. The drum 6 is clamped to the disk unit by means of the bolts and nuts 8 and 9. Each disk unit 4 comprises a plurality of rubber canvas disks which are clamped together by the washers 10 and rivets 11. The washers are provided with'beveled edges so as to not cut into the disks and are elliptical in form so as to receive a rivet at each end and pro a drum on .a coaxial shaft secvide acentral aperture through which the bolts 3 and 8 pass, said washers being positioned with their long axes disposed radially. With this arrangement flexing of the washer unit may take place between the location of the bolts in order to allow for relative angular motion between the shaft sec tions but radial motion between the disks is prevented not only by the clamping means for the disk unit but by the cylindrical flange 7 of the housing member 6. Accordingly, wear of the disks at the location of the bolts is prevented and the whipping action between the shafts, which it is particularly desired to avoid, can not take place, the shafts being maintained in proper centered position in the coupling.

The elongated form and radial position of the washers gives a maximum of support and distribution of bearing for the bolts 9- consistent with the desired flexibility of the component disks of unit 4.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the constructionshown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible coupling comprising in combination two shaft receiving, members and a laminated disk to which said members are secured at alternate points respectively spaced apart adjacent to the riphery of said disk, said disk including eveled edge emma radially positioned oblong washers secured adjacent to their ends to the adjacent laminations which are all flexible, and clampin means extendin through said disk an through the was ers whereby said members are respectively secured to said disk in flexible relation to each other.

2. In'a'cou lin aunitcomprising,incomb nation, a p ura ity of flexible disks, a peripheral series of washers dis osed between sa1d disks, and rivets where y said disks and washers are unified said washers havmg bevelled edges and said disks being spaced apart appreciably and provided with perforations in registry with the holes in said washers.

Signed at Chicago this 1st day of March,

AXEL R. LE MOON. 

